LOS ANGELES –– The Kings had lost bodies (nine of them) and games (two of two) to the Nashville Predators this season, but that was of little import Tuesday night when they bookended a decisive 6-1 victory over Nashville with three goals in the first 11 minutes of the first period and three more in the third period at Crypto.com Arena.

Center Quinton Byfield contributed two goals and an assist to pace the Kings. Forward Trevor Moore had a goal and an assist, center Anze Kopitar assisted on two goals by winger Adrian Kempe and winger Arthur Kaliyev added a game-winning, power-play goal. Jonathan Quick made 24 saves, his intermittent brilliance overshadowed by the offensive deluge.

Forward Philip Tomasino scored for Nashville, while David Rittich was touched up for five goals on 34 shots.

The Kings scored twice in the 13th minute of the third period. First, Kopitar moved the puck to the safety of Kempe’s stick, which slid the puck across three quarters of the ice and into the empty net. Then Byfield picked off a clearing attempt by Rittich and fired it back into his net for his fourth career goal.

The Kings kept their feet on the gas throughout the final period. First, a Kempe breakaway created excitement. Later, with 14:01 remaining, Rasmus Kupari’s strength on the puck and finesse with a pass set up Byfield’s one-timer. Soon after the goal, defenseman Sean Durzi and Nashville forward Yakov Trenin fought in the Kings’ zone.

Nashville clawed back a goal 3:33 into the second period, the only scoring in the frame. After defenseman Roman Josi’s shot attempt was blocked, Tomasino tipped the loose puck skyward and then redirected it into the net in a feat of hand-eye coordination.

In the past 30 days, the Kings had played 16 games, having more than one day between contests just one prior to the two-day break they had Sunday and Monday. Conversely, Nashville was completing a back-to-back set after defeating the Ducks, 6-3, on Monday.

That manifested itself in the Kings’ superb start, in which they reeled off three goals in just over half a period.

Having already struck at even strength and on the power play, the Kings completed the variety pack with a short-handed goal at the 10:39 mark of the first period. Center Blake Lizotte, who signed a two-year contract extension on Monday, fended off two checkers and slipped the puck to a streaking Moore for a tap-in tally.

The Kings had taken command early with a goal 3:26 into the game and a power-play marker 3:10 later.

First, forecheck pressure culminated in a takeaway by Anze Kopitar who fed Kempe for a snap shot from between the circles. It was Kempe’s team-leading 27th goal, but his first against a goalie in 13 games (he had one empty-net goal during that stretch).

Then, as the Kings were about to have a five-on-three opportunity, their younger power-play group shunned a quick touch in favor of some patient puck movement. It paid off when Kaliyev adjusted his shooting angle and let fly with a wrist shot from above the left faceoff circle that beat Rittich cleanly.

More to come on this story.

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